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Friends and Enemies
Prologue (Bang) "Bang!" Anastasia's motherly voice boomed. He almost dropped the phone from her sudden eruption. "Are you paying attention?!" "Yeeeees. Corporate assholes release this new product that is actually a sham. But why is the church investigating this?" Bang asked in a hushed tone. "Seems too worldly for the most holy." He avoided the influx of people; elegantly maneuvering through the crowded city sidewalk, despite primarily focusing on the black phone held against his ear. "Not like businesses are known for their honesty." "Except these pills can further weaken the boundary between worlds." Anastasia sighed. "Magecraft is mankind's last connection to Magic and it's slowly dwindling out of our existence. Of course this is due to millennia of stubborn traditions practiced by close minded Magi and their lack of acceptance towards those born outside the realm and an unwillingness to-" "Save me the lecture, Candy. We don't have time for your personal vendettas. Tell me why I'm doing this?" Anastasia cleared her throat. "Well if you'd let me finish you'd know! Human's have recently experienced countless technological evolutions. The further we advance, the quicker Magecraft disappears. But if Magecraft happened to be reintroduced into humanity...well...it would be the Tower of Babel all over again." "So my job is to bust in there and destroy this weird pill they're trying to sell." "And kill the board of directors and anyone who gets in your way. Gotta erase all traces of this blasphemy." "When did you get so religious?" Bang teased. "When I first took you under my wing. Anyone dealing with you needs God's strength to get through the night." "I'm not that bad." He retaliated. "Anyway, what's so bad about this pill? I mean, I get the whole keeping it out of the public's eye...But why wouldn't the church want to use it." "They're selling magic." Bang could smell the thick jasmine of her tea through the phone. "Or in better terms; placing a physical bounded barrier around a spell, in the form of a pill, and selling it to the public. When ingested, the pill dissolves within the body and spell reacts to the person's own circuits and activates. Allowing even normal humans to access it. Are you familiar with the concept of Flowing and Transferring of Power?" "Yeah. It's when a Magus stores magic energy within an object for later right?" "Exactly. If this falls into the wrong hands - it's safer for the church to destroy it rather than risk a catastrophe." "Sounds fun. But I have another question?" Bang smirked. "Go ahead?" "Why aren't you doing this?! You'd think spatial transportation would be the perfect ability for this job." "I've got more important matters to attend to." Anastasia answered in her girly manner. "Bye!" Click. Bang took a second, staring at the phone's blank screen before he sighed and returned it back to his backpack. Of course by important matters she meant getting her hair done, Bang knew Anastasia Fraga better than she knew herself. "But at least I don't have to worry..." He thought to himself with a smile. Nightfall. But the city remained as lively as ever. People bustled throughout the streets joyously. Some prepared for another night of work while others spent quality time with one another. "Teshigawara Corp." Bang looked at his smartphone's screen. "Looks like I'm here." He dug into the opening of his hoodie and removed an intricate dagger. Silver glistening from the moon's aura with an ebony handle. The doors opened and a chilled breeze brushed passed him. He stood in a spacious lobby with harmless patrons sitting upon expensive furniture. A few workers with plastered smiles stood behind the desk. Cute secretaries, the young swordsman thought. Bang walked towards the elevator. "Pass please." A security officer ordered. A visitor flashed her pass and the guard turned back to his station. Bing. He entered the elevator. "She said this building has 45 floors. Thirty five on top and ten below ground." Bang pressed two buttons simultaneously, 25 and 20. The elevator rocketed upwards. A man wearing a dark suit entered with his briefcase on the 20th floor. He spoke into his silver phone. "I can't wait to see you tonight. Don't worry about her. The kids have a recital tomorrow morning and I told her that the boss gave me a shitload of work. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. I'm in the elevator now heading up to the office. Yeah, I'm alone right now. Come up when your shift ends and we can crack open that bottle of wine I've been saving. Okay. See you in a few." "Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery. - Hebrews 13:4." Bang recited with a saddened breath and closed eyes. But the sins of others would only weigh him down. Instead he stared at his reflection in the metallic casing of the elevator. Black skin. Tired eyes. And a curled mohawk colored with blonde tips. He was the opposite of someone who'd serve the church. Rebellious piercings. Tattoos. A born sinner searching for forgiveness. Bing. The elevator reached the 35th floor and stopped momentarily before suddenly dropping. It fell at alarming rates. Rapidly decreasing from 35 to 13. 13 to 9. 9 to 3. 3 to 1. 0. A. B. C. D. E. Bang watched the letters appear until it reached J. "Anastasia said this was the floor." Bang entered the corridor, covered with velvet floors that matched the red and gold wallpaper. He found himself surrounded by a thick silence. "This has to be the nicest secret laboratory ever created. Whoever owns this placed should let me turn this place into a small hotel-" Three men turned the corner and walked pass Bang. "Guns. Looks like I'm closer to where I need to...need to...need ACHOO!" He sneezed and felt the invisible layer hovering millimeters above his skin break for a slight second. "Dammit!" "Who's there!" They barked. A black haired guard pulled his gun and pointed it towards Bang. "Where did you come from - drop the weapon?!" "Now fellas," As Bang spoke, he slowly returned the dagger to his sweater. "Let's be reasonable. I got off at the wrong floor, I 'm just looking for my father who works here." Bang stretched out his hand. Prologue (Lilianna) Sprawled out leisurely across a modest couch, with only the sound of static emanating through the room, Lilianna meticulously fumbled with the antenna of a small radio. "Maybe Dad was right with regard to modern technology," she mumbles to herself, desperately trying to pick up the station she was listening to only a few minutes ago, "...though if his taste in music has any bearing on his opinion, then I can't say I trust his judgement to the fullest." After a short while further tweaking the device's reception a vague melodic tune could be heard from the radio's small speaker. "About time," She thinks to herself, bracing the position of the antenna with her fingers as it was enveloped in a dim glow. Almost instantly the incoherent music nearly overwhelmed by static was replaced with a clear transmission. "Just like ...well not quite." Satisfied with the accomplishment of her task, Lilianna leans her head back to enjoy a particularly heavy instrumental solo. Before she can truly relax though she quickly sat up, turned down the radio, and carefully placed the device upon a cluttered coffee table. Turning her head, she looks out across a modest one room apartment in the direction of a small balcony just as few light taps could be heard upon the glass. Obviously not surprised by the interruption, the dark-haired young woman strolls across the room, grabbing a small piece of parchment from the table on her way. Sliding open the balcony door the source of the noise was none other than a small sparrow that had perched on railing. Holding up the sheet in the direction of the bird, which simply stares inquisitively back in the woman's direction, the small animal takes suddenly flight and travels directly toward the paper. Rather than colliding normally with the target the familiar miraculously takes the form of ink upon contact and quickly rearranges itself into a message. Carrying the note back into her home, Lilianna takes great care to secure the door to the balcony. Taking a seat back on her couch, she quickly read through the contents of the message that had been delivered to her. "Not the average job, but I suppose it's important nonetheless," she murmured to herself as the paper spontaneously ignited. "You would think such a long lived organization would be more patient..." she thought, tossing aside the burning object before it disappeared completely. Without delay she quickly dons the appropriate apparel, consisting of a dark colored suit jacket over a white dress shirt and matching ebony skirt. Brushing her unkempt hair from her eyes and marching toward the door she collects and equips a cloth wrapped parcel attached to a shoulder strap and exited her apartment. Once again taking great care that an entrance to her home was secure, she makes her way out into the moonlit city and towards her destination. Arriving at what appeared to be the back side of a large building, Lilianna is stopped by heavy door with an equally impressive lock. Testing the passage, she confirms that the way is indeed sealed. Revealing a small penknife from her pocket she seemingly scratches the surface of the metallic lock lightly with an irregular pattern. While seemingly a completely ineffective act, she returns the small blade to her pocket and pulls upon the handle of the door with a jerk. Yielding without resistance the door swings open, revealing that the lock baring passage has been cleanly severed and dismantled both externally and internally, falling apart once separated from the door frame. Stepping into the building she finds herself in a dimly lit stairwell, and she begins to move her way into the subterranean levels. "Well...step one wasn't so difficult, hopefully they haven't prepared too many surprises," she thinks to herself, keeping a deliberate eye on the descending path before her.